Crib bumper secured with a toy

ABSTRACT

A crib bumper including a bumper pad and a set of attachment members. The attachment members pass from in the interior of the crib through bores in the bumper pad and secure behind bars of the crib. Securing and releasing the bumper pad to the crib is simplified through the use of the bores and attachment members.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to crib safety devices, and specifically relatesto a crib bumper with a bumper pad and separate attachment members.

BACKGROUND

Permanently mounted or removable rail or bar restraints are widely usedto prevent children or the incapacitated from falling out of bed.Unfortunately, these restraints typically allow the head, arms and/orlegs to be inserted through the rails or bars of the bed or crib. Theselimbs may then become lodged between the rails or accidentally struck bymoving people or objects outside the crib.

To reduce these dangers, crib bumper pads have been developed.Typically, these crib bumper pads are thin, padded strips covered withfabric or plastic and positioned on top of the mattress and around theinterior boundary of the crib. The bumper pads are attached to the cribside using string or cord attached to corner of each section of thebumper pad. The strings are tied around a corner post or bar of thecrib. Thus, the bumper pad is held against the sides of the crib at eachcorner.

Conventional crib bumpers have a disadvantage in that each corner of thebumper pad must be tied in place. This can be a time consuming task foran already busy caretaker. Further, the bumper pad is sometimes onlyattached to the crib at its corners, which allows the bumper pad to foldoutward in its middle. As a result, it is not uncommon for the top sideof the bumper pad to slip downward toward the base of the crib.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a crib bumper that can be easily attachedto a crib and securely held in place. The bumper pad includes one ormore bores therethrough. Attachment members pass through the bores andsecure the bumper pad to the crib bars or corner posts using a fasteningdevice.

In some embodiments the attachment member is an elongate element thatpasses through the bore or bores and ends of the elongate element securearound the bars of the crib. Other embodiments include a central bodyand string attached thereto, which passes through the bore or bores andattaches to the crib bar.

Another embodiment is an elongate member with a central body. Theelongate member is formed of appendages extending out form the centralbody. The appendages pass through the bore or bores and secure behindthe bar or corner post. The central body of the attachment member canrepresent a character such as an animal, character, or children'sentertainer. In some embodiments the appendages can be limbscorresponding to the character of the central body.

The fastening device of the attachment members can be an elongatepliable member inside the appendages, such that the appendages can betwisted into a secure position behind the bars. Other embodimentsinclude hoop and loop attachment strips, a gear rack and ratchet or acord lock, in the case when string is used.

The invention makes securing and removing the bumper pad very easy. Thecaretaker can leave the attachment members in their places in the boresand quickly release the fastening devices. Once the fastening devicesare released, the caretaker can remove the bumper pad. Further, thebumper pad is held to the crib bars at its middle, which makes it lessprone to sliding downward.

The crib bumper can include a bumper pad and a set of attachmentmembers. The attachment members can be themed for the education andamusement of the child. For example, if the attachment members arecharacters, they can be a group of related characters. Alternatively,the attachment members can include a set of different shapes and colors.There are a great many possible alternatives for sets of attachmentmembers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

These and other objects and features of the invention will become moreapparent by referring to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional top view of the crib bumper of the presentinvention in use in a crib;

FIG. 2 is a front view of an embodiment of an attachment member of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a front view of another embodiment of an attachment member ofthe present invention;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a front view of yet another embodiment of an attachment memberof the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front view of still another embodiment of an attachmentmember of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a front view of an embodiment of an attachment member of thepresent invention;

FIG. 10 is a top view of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a front view of yet another embodiment of an attachmentmember of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a top view of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a top view of a further embodiment; and

FIG. 14 illustrates another embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional top view of a crib 1 with crib bumper 10of the present invention. The cross-sectional view is taken just belowthe railings (not shown) such that bars 4 along the sides 6, 8 of thecrib 1 are visible. Corner posts 2 of the crib 1 are also shown in thefigure. The crib bumper 10 provides a protective bumper pad 20 betweenthe inside of the crib 1 and the bars 4. The bumper pad 20 runs alongentire perimeter of the crib 1 inside the bars 4.

The bumper pad 20 is soft so that a small child placed in the crib 1 isprotected from the bars 4 of the crib 1 which are typically hard. Theconstruction of the bumper pad 20, in general, is not particularlylimited. For example, it may be formed from entirely of a softsponge-like material, or it may include a textile pouch filled withpadding or soft stuffing. Since the inner side 22 of the bumper pad 20can be contacted by a child placed inside the crib 1, the inner side 22is soft and the material of the inner side is preferably smooth. On theother hand, the outer side 24 of the bumper pad 20 is adjacent the bars4 of the crib 1. Thus, the outer side may be formed from a variety ofmaterials. In many embodiments of the invention the bumper pad 20 isreversible, and the inner and outer sides 22, 24 have similar or thesame softness and smoothness.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the bumper pad 20 is secured to the crib 1with at least one attachment member 30. The attachment members 30 of thepresent invention may be formed in any one of a variety of differentembodiments. The different embodiments are described in detail below. InFIGS. 1 and 2, the crib bumper includes six attachment members 30. Eachattachment member 30 includes a central body 32 and two appendages 34extending therefrom. Thus, the attachment member 30 shown in FIGS. 1 and5 are, as a whole, a substantially elongate element 40 with a centralbody 32 in the middle, near or at the center of the element 40.

The central body 32 of each attachment member is on the inside of thecrib 1, adjacent the inner side 22 of the bumper pad 20. The appendages34 of the attachment members 30 pass through bores 26 in the bumper pad20. The ends 36 of the appendages 34 (as shown in FIG. 4) extend tooutside of the crib 1 and wrap around one or more of the bars 4 orcorner posts 2. Each appendage 34 includes a fastening device 38 thatsecures on or behind the bars 4 or corner posts 2. The fastening device38 is not a simple string to be tied. The present invention contemplatesan easy removal/fastening device without the use of knots.

Aesthetically, the attachment members 34 can be very simple and formedwith a plain cotton or fabric exterior. Alternatively, as with manychildren's products, the attachment members can be made with a varietyof colors and designs to amuse the child. As shown in FIG. 1, eachattachment member 30 in the set includes a different design and the setincludes two differently shaped attachment members.

The bumper pad 20 of the present invention may be a single continuouspad that traverses the entire crib 1. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 1,the bumper pad may include two or more sections. The bumper pad 20shown, has a front section 42 that is separate from the back and sidesection 44 which is formed as three joined parts. This is particularlyadvantageous when the front side 6 of the crib 1 can slide upward anddownward to close and open. The illustrated attachment members 30, notonly hold the bumper pad 20 up against the bars 4 of the crib 1, theyalso hold the two sections 42, 44 of the bumper pad 20 together.

The illustrated embodiment of the crib bumper 10 shown in FIG. 1exclusively uses attachment members 30 for holding the bumper pad 20 inplace. However, this is not a requirement of the invention. Theinvention can include as few as one attachment member 30, for holdingthe bumper pad 20 to the crib 1. The rest of the bumper pad 20 can beheld to the crib in a conventional manner, for example, with ties.

Various embodiments of the attachment member 30 are shown in FIGS. 2-12.FIGS. 2-4 illustrate a particularly amusing embodiment of attachmentmember 30. In this embodiment, attachment member 30 resembles acharacter, specifically a monkey. The head and torso of the characterserve as the central body 32 of the attachment member and the limbs ofthe character serve as the appendages 34. The appendages 34 extendoutward forming a substantially elongate element 40. In FIG. 2, theattachment member 30 includes two appendages 34 formed by the monkey'sarms, while in FIG. 3, the attachment member includes four appendages34, using both the arms and legs of the monkey. As shown in FIG. 4, themonkeys limbs pass through bores 26 in the bumper pad 20, from the innerside 22 to the outer side 24, and secure behind bars 4 of the crib.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate another embodiment of the attachment members30. This embodiment is an elongate element 40 that does not include acentral body 32. The elongate element 40 passes through two bores 26 inthe bumper pad 20. Ends 46 of the elongate element 40 are similar to theends of the appendages 36. Each end 46 includes a fastening device 38for securing the elongate element 40 behind the bars 4.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is similar to that shown in FIGS.2-4, in that it includes two appendages 34 extending from a central body32 and the appendages 34 are inserted through two bores 26 in the bumperpad 20. However, the design of the central body 32 and appendages 34 areindependent. The appendages 34 are not integral to the design of thecentral body 32 as they are with the monkey embodiment. The central body32 in the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8 is a star with a face.However, the central body does not need to have any descriptivecharacteristics. It could be as simple as a bulge in the center ofelongate body 40. The central body 32 is defined by its size withrespect to the bores 26 in bumper pad 20. The central body 32 is largerthan the bores 26, such that it does not fit through bores 26 easily.Any design variations along elongate body 40 that are not larger thanthe bores 26 should not be considered a central body 32.

The embodiment of attachment member 30 illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10includes a central body 32 and only one bore 26. The illustratedembodiment includes string extending from the back of central body 32.The string 48 passes through the bore 26 and is held by fastening device38 behind the bars 4 of crib 1. A similar embodiment could include oneor more appendages that extend from the back of central body 32 andinclude a fastening device 38 that secures on one or more bars 4.

The attachment member 30 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 is an elongate element60 that passes through a single bore 26 in the bumper pad 20. Theelongate element 60 is in the form of a character, specifically a snake,and wraps around bar 4 of the crib 1. For added security, the elongateelement also wraps up over bumper pad 20 and around the front of anadjacent bar 4.

Similar to the bumper pad 20, the attachment members 30 may be formedfrom a variety of materials. Preferably, the portions of attachmentmembers 30 that will be on the inside of the crib, for example thecentral body and parts of the appendages, are soft and smooth. Thisdesign will ensure that a child placed in the crib will be safe.Possible materials that can be used for the attachment elements aretextiles filled with a soft padding, or a sponge-like material that issoft without the need for a textile covering. These are merely examples,as the attachment members 30 may be made from many different materials.

Further, as illustrated in FIG. 14, the attachment members 30 may alsoinclude numerous additional features. For example, the attachmentmembers 30 can include various additions to amuse a child placed in thecrib 1. The attachment members can include lights 100 or toys 102.Additionally, the attachment members can make sounds or music. Forexample one or more attachment member 30 can include an audio playingdevice and a speaker 104. One possibility is that each attachment member30 includes a digital audio player (DAP) 106. Likewise, a single DAP canbe included in one of the attachment members 30 and each can include aspeaker and a wireless receiver to receive signals for playing the audiosounds. Further, a transmitter 108 can be included in the attachmentmember to act as a baby monitor. A wireless receiver 110 can be placedat a location remote from the crib so the caretaker can monitor thesleep of the child.

FIGS. 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 show various embodiments of the fasteningdevice 38 included on the attachment members 30.

In FIG. 4 the fastening device 38 is formed by the ends 36 of theappendages 34 themselves. For example, the appendages can be tied aroundthe back of the crib bar 4. The ends of the appendages 36 and the knotformed therein serve as a fastening device 38. Alternatively, as shown,the appendages 34 can lock together using an elongate pliable member 50that is flexible but retains its shape. Thus, the appendages 34 can bewrapped around a bar 4 and twisted into a locked position as shown inFIG. 4. A possible example of pliable member 50 is a wire, which can bebent into a position and hold its shape.

The fastening device shown in FIG. 6 is a pair of hook and loopfastening strips 52, one at each end 42 of the elongate body 40. Theelongate body 40 wraps around the bar 4 and the strips 52 are attachedto one another. This holds the bumper pad 20 securely against the bars4.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 8 includes a pair of fastening devices 38on the ends 36 of appendages 34. The fastening devices 38 include a gearrack 54 and a ratchet 56, similar to a cable tie or zip tie. Preferablythe ratchet 56 is two-directional, allowing the gear rack 54 to passeasily to “tighten” the fastening device 38 to bar 4 and to “loosen”only with manual intervention by the caretaker, unlike most cable ties.The attachment member 30 shown in FIG. 10, as mentioned above, includesstring 48 attached thereto. Also, as mentioned above, the string can betied together to serve as a fastening device 38. Alternatively, aseparate fastening device 38, such as a cord lock 58, can be includedand hold the string 48 in place.

In FIG. 12, similar to FIG. 4, elongate element 60 serves as a fasteningdevice 38. However, in the case of FIG. 12, the elongate element 60encloses pliable member 50 does not engage another pliable member 50.Instead, the pliable member 50 holds against the bars 4 by its ownstrength.

Additionally, embodiments include the use of safety buckles, buttons orsnaps 70 as illustrated in FIG. 13. Adjusters 72 can be used with thisor the other embodiments to adjust the length of attachmentmember/appendage 34.

Although the preferred form of the invention has been shown anddescribed, many features may be varied, as will readily be apparent tothose skilled in this art. It is the intention, therefore, to be limitedonly as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

1. A crib bumper comprising: a bumper pad including: an inner side, anouter side, and at least one bore passing through the bumper pad fromthe inner side to the outer side; and at least one attachment memberincluding: an elongate body passing through the at least one bore, and afastening device for securing the attachment member to a bar or cornerpost of a crib adjacent the outer side of the bumper pad.
 2. The cribbumper of claim 1 wherein the at least one bore includes two bores, theelongate element passes through each of the two bores, and the elongateelement includes ends extending from each of the two bores.
 3. The cribbumper of claim 2, wherein the fastening device includes an elongatepliable member in each end of the elongate body, the elongate pliablemember operable to hold a desired shape that secures the at least oneattachment member to the bar or corner post.
 4. The crib bumper of claim2, wherein the fastening device comprises a strip of hook and loopfastener on each end of the elongate element for attaching the endstogether behind the bar or corner post of the crib.
 5. The crib bumperof claim 2, wherein the fastening device comprises a gear rack on oneend of the elongate element and a ratchet on another end of the elongateelement for attaching the ends together behind the bar or corner post ofthe crib.
 6. The crib bumper of claim 2, wherein the at least oneattachment member further includes a central body and the ends of theelongate element are appendages extending therefrom.
 7. The crib bumperof claim 6, wherein the central body is larger than diameters of both ofthe two bores.
 8. The crib bumper of claim 7, wherein the central bodyrepresents a character and the appendages represent limbs of thecharacter.
 9. A crib bumper comprising: a bumper pad including: an innerside, an outer side, and at least one bore passing through the bumperpad from the inner side to the outer side; and an attachment membertraversing the at least one bore and including: a central body adjacentan inner side of the bumper pad, the central body being larger than adiameter of the at least one bore, and at least one fastening device forsecuring the attachment member to a bar or corner post of a cribadjacent the outer side of the bumper pad.
 10. The crib bumper of claim9 wherein the attachment member includes string extending from thecentral body and the at least one fastening device comprises ends of thestring which are configured to tie around the bar or corner post of thecrib.
 11. The crib bumper of claim 9 wherein the attachment memberincludes string extending from the central body and the at least onefastening device comprises a cord lock operable to hold the stringtightly around the bar or corner post of the crib.
 12. The crib bumperof claim 9 wherein the at least one bore includes two bores, and thecentral body includes an appendage extending therefrom corresponding toeach bore of the bumper pad, each appendage passing through thecorresponding bore, and wherein the at least one fastening device is atthe end of at least one of the appendages.
 13. The crib bumper of claim12, wherein the fastening device includes an elongate pliable member ineach appendage, the elongate pliable member operable to hold a desiredshape that secures the attachment member to the bar or corner post. 14.The crib bumper of claim 12, wherein the fastening device comprises astrip of hook and loop fastener on each appendage for attaching the endstogether behind the bar or corner post of the crib.
 15. The crib bumperof claim 12, wherein the fastening device comprises a gear rack on oneappendage and a ratchet on another appendage for attaching the endstogether behind the bar or corner post of the crib.
 16. The crib bumperof claim 12, wherein the central body represents a character and theappendages represent limbs of the character.
 17. The crib bumper ofclaim 8 wherein the at least one attachment members includes a set ofsix attachment members
 18. A crib bumper comprising: a bumper padincluding: an inner side, an outer side, and at least two bores passingthrough the bumper pad from the inner side to the outer side; and anattachment member including: a central body adjacent an inner side ofthe bumper pad and being larger than a diameter of any of the at leasttwo bores, the central body representing a character, and an appendagecorresponding to each of the at least two bores and passingtherethrough, the appendages including at least one fastening device forsecuring the attachment member to a bar or corner post of the of a cribadjacent the outer side of the bumper pad, wherein each appendagerepresents a limb of the character of the central body.
 19. The cribbumper of claim 18, wherein the fastening device includes an elongatepliable member in at least one of the appendages for holding a desiredshape that secures the attachment member to the bar or corner post. 20.The crib bumper of claim 18, wherein the fastening device comprises astrip of hook and loop fastener on each appendage, for attaching theappendages together behind the bar or corner post of the crib.